The Saturday before Father’s Day I decided to treat the father of my children to his very first massage EVER… He’s been hinting for years about getting one, usually when I’ve just come back from a spoil, so I thought it would be a good time to surprise him.
One of his big concerns has always been that he might feel awkward with a strange woman touching him, so just to make sure he was completely comfortable I thought I would offer my services as his partner at a couples massage! I’m so generous like that 😉 After dropping the kids off at the in-laws we headed off on our mid-day date with all the excitement that comes with “bunking school”.
Stillness Manor is based up the beautiful Zwaanswyk Road in Tokai, and we headed to Jojo’s at Stillness Spa to soak up the peace & serenity of the countryside setting. The surroundings were stunning. Set just below the Steenberg mountains and next to the Tokai forest, this really is a beautiful part of Cape Town. But one of the best aspects of the setting is the stillness – a deafening peace and quiet filled our ears! Bliss.
Once we arrived we were warmly greeted and shown to our room where 2 massage tables were prepared for us. We slipped under the warmed towels and drifted off for an indulgent hour of pampering. Our therapists were skilled! We both really enjoyed our massage therapists amazing hands, they seemed to know just how to relieve the tension our modern lives had inflicted on our bodies…
His thoughts: I really enjoyed the massage, it was very relaxing and a great stress reliever. The environment was calming. The massage ladies were very discreet and professional.
Her thoughts: I loved sharing the experience with my other half. Taking time out from our busy schedules which are full of responsibilities and relaxing together was lovely – both during the massage and afterwards. The staff at Stillness Spa made us feel very welcome and the experience was lovely.
After our couples massage spoil we floated downstairs in a very relaxed state to take advantage of the rest of the spa facilities. The venue has a huge indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, gym and sun room. Unfortunately the pool and steam room were both out of order which meant we were unable to enjoy those but we did pop into the sauna for a few minutes. And then lounged around with our drinks and some magazines enjoying the sunshine in the sun room.
We enjoyed our treatment and had a great time taking a few hours out as a couple, but I did find that general maintenance of the facilities could be improved in order to bring the experience up to a higher standard. The venue has a lot of potential to be a really lovely day spa and would be a great retreat for busy moms needing time out, brides-to-be or friends looking for a fun way to spend time together. What is great is that the spa is not too well-known which allows you privacy and peace not always possible at other venues.
They also offer amazing, affordable Spa Specials – a great way to spoil a friend (or yourself!)
Jojo’s at Stillness Spa is open for treatments from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 19:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:00. Opening hours on Sundays and Public Holidays are from 09:00 to 15:00
Stillness Manor & Spa
16 Debaren Close Tokai
Cape Town
Tel: +27 (21) 715 6768 or 072 522 0806
E-mail: spa@stillnessmanor.com
Images: Kathryn Rossiter
Disclaimer: I was invited to enjoy a massage at JoJo’s for the purposes of this review.